Drunk Passenger Gets Jail Time, Has To Reimburse American Airlines $7,757

The first sign that Russell Petrie was too drunk to fly was probably when he boarded the plane and yelled “let’s party and have some drinks!”

Petrie, a Canadian citizen, managed to order five vodka drinks and two glasses of wine from two different flight attendants before AA cut him off during his flight from Seattle to Miami. After making some suggestive remarks to female flight attendants and other female passengers, Petrie is reported to have said: “you don’t [deleted] decide how much vodka I can drink . . . I’ll meet you off the airplane.” He also grabbed a female passenger’s butt, because that’s the type of classy guy he is.

Petrie then made his way into the airplane’s lavatory where he began loudly pounding on the airplane’s walls. At this point the flight was diverted to Denver so Petrie could be arrested.

From The Province:

Russell Petrie, 30, struck a plea bargain that will likely result in a sentence of six to 12 months and up to a $10,000 fine, according to Colorado court documents.

Maximum penalty for the charge is 20 years and a $250,000 fine.
Petrie will also be asked to reimburse American Airlines $7,757 for the cost of landing the Seattle-Miami flight in Denver.

In exchange for a guilty plea, a charge of sexual assault was dropped against Petrie, who also grabbed the buttocks of a female passenger on the flight, according to an agreed statement of facts filed in court.

Petrie, who has been a Colorado jail since the incident, may be deported.